Robert DeLong Unplugged – Digilove Exclusive Interview

If you haven’t jumped on the RDL party train yet, it’s about to leave the station. In an era where 95% of DJ’s can show up, push play, jump around and no one seems to know the difference, Robert DeLong is about to reset the bar.

Starting as a drummer when he was just 10 years old (his father was a drummer as well), Robert spent his time practicing drums, studying music theory and learning to make electronic tracks on Acid and Fruity Loops. He was writing songs by the time he got to junior high and laying the groundwork for what would become his own unique sound. Tomorrow his LP, Just Movement, will be released via Glassnote Records.

“The album is an introduction to what I do, indie rock with every different dance music style – house, moombahton, trip-hop, heavy electro, breaks – all of it,” explains Robert. He has the sort of quiet, mild manner that makes you think he secretly must be some kind of mad genius.

His live show certainly lends itself to that theory – the guy is up there singing his ass off with a drum set, keyboards, tons of different trigger pads and even a Wii remote and Sega controllers he programmed to act as MIDI triggers. The sheer volume of activity going on in his show is enough to give any performer anxiety, but Robert is 100% master of this domain.

He has a distinct branding (the orange X and face paint) that lends itself well to fan inclusion. At Robert’s epic performance in Hollywood at Bardot January 21 there’s a face painting station set up under black light where kids are lining up to get their faces done before the set starts. His fan base identify themselves as ‘The Tribe of Orphans’.

“I didn’t start getting into dance music til I moved down to Los Angeles 8 years ago,” says Robert, who moved from Bothell, Washington to attend Azusa Pacific’s music program. The city not only opened up his taste to EDM but also inspired the tribal nature of his fan base. After all, LA is just a city full of people who left their homes to chase a dream and now the dream-chasing orphans have a tribe to belong to.

Just Movement is an outstanding record – its stands up next to MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular or Yeasayer’s Odd Blood but with a much heavier dance thread. His lyrics from the record’s first single ‘Global Concepts’ have the potential to become iconic, “Did I leave my life to chance or did I make you fucking dance (dance dance dance)?” Get this record to find out the answer, available tomorrow and check out Robert’s video for ‘Global Concepts’ here.